Curved surfaces are mentioned in the video, in relation to the curve on a MacBook. What are the capabilities for curved surfaces? How much difference in height/depth across an engravable surface can there be? How about severe curves, as in bottles or glasses for example?
BTW, I sold my vintage convertible to buy my Glowforge!
Iām not sure how youāll get a bottle or glass in the Glowforge as Z axis clearance is a maximum of 1.5" with the floor removed. Iām sure it will do most of one side of a pen though.
Waitā¦ I specifically bought my Glowforge to engrave my vintage convertible, and now I find the Z axis clearance isnāt big enough? Iām shocked I tell yaā¦
Seriously thoā, being able to put a 2x4 through the Pro model on itās side (Z = 3 1ā2") would be a monster architectural hit. Just a suggestion.
I was thinking about how the continuous feed work would go, as well. Using the camera to sync seems the most likely. Sure, it isnāt possible with the Glowforge, but would the bat simply burn a strip at a time and line everything up with a similar syncing technique?
Is the 1.5" Z clearance the official number? Iāve been looking around for that info and havenāt seen it anywhere else. I was wondering about engraving on something like a pint glass, for example, and wasnāt sure if the machine would be able to handle it.
While it seems that the Z clearance may not be enough for a pint glass or baseball bat, that doesnāt mean you canāt use the glowforge as an integral part of the creation process. The laser cutter should be able to cut a pretty good stencil from vinyl sticker for sand blasting or perhaps acid etching your drinkware.
@septimus39 - in my limited experience, laser etched glass is not terrific (other people may have better results). I have had much better luck laser-cutting stencils and then using that to etch the glass as stated by @koos42
koos42ā¦ Just a heads up that you never want to cut vinyl in a laser cutter. Vinyl sheeting is made with Polvinyl Chloride (PVC). The chloride changes to chlorine gas when heated, and Iām sure you donāt want Chlorine gas floating around your workspace.
to make sure Iām reading this right - we can cut/engrave up to 1.5" as long as it is small enough to fit inside the machine (without tray)? the passthrough cannot be used for anything larger than 1/4? I envisioned myself engraving lines and numbers on long boards for growth charts but would want to use thicker than 1/4 for something like that
PS I would love to see photos and videos of the machine being used with longer materials.